Corto was a city unlike any Sarah had ever seen before.
First of all, it was all the way at the bottom of the mountains. But it was also a coastal city. Sarah had never seen the ocean before until the crested the last mountain range and started the final descent.
It was endless, all the way out to the horizon. A flat plane of nothing but water, but in the evening sun it sparkled beautifully.
As they descended, the air rapidly grew warmer and drier. The climate here was clear...
2025-12-16 19:00:06 +0000 UTC
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The harsh cry continued as the sun peeked over the horizon!
“Buy some apples! Buy some apples!”
Lily sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked to the foot of her bed.
“One, two, three, four… huh?”
Four ghosts.
And Mr. Cat still sleeping next to her…
Or, trying to sleep.
He was covering his ears with his paws!
Lily’s Mama was waking up in the bed on the other side of their little room in the bed and breakfast inn.
Lily tilted her he...
2025-12-16 18:00:13 +0000 UTC
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The crowd roared for a solid few minutes, and then the announcer declared a thirty minute wait for bets to be placed on the match, and all the betting windows were swarmed, with the announcer periodically announcing the odds.
Two to one for Pablo. Three to one for Pablo.
The Aspirant Knight strode back to his waiting room, where he whispered to the Steward who then dashed off.
James emptied his pouch onto the table in the room, sorting through his tools. Flashbangs, explosiv...
2025-12-15 19:00:09 +0000 UTC
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Davy Sprocket, the President of the Great and Everlasting Free State of Texas, and Lily, the genius, Gods-blessed inventor of not only the Lilyburger, but fast food and franchising as well, drew up some contracts for beef exports for her chains of restaurants, wherever they were.
From now on, they’d have plenty of beef!
And the prices would be affordable, once the Texans got their beef production started up again!
While they were doing that, Sally taught the butler and Ann...
2025-12-13 18:00:06 +0000 UTC
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The entire city was buzzing and pulsing with festivity as the end of Winter was celebrated and the arrival of Spring was heralded. Every tasca and restaurant was packed starting as soon as the sun rose and late into the night. Food and drink stalls lined the wide boulevards, and even the refugees, with their odd hair colors, were included in the party, everyone shoving food and drink into each others’ hands. There was at least one musician on every corner, and bards from all over t...
2025-12-12 19:00:07 +0000 UTC
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A word on the tip of her tongue.
A thought that wouldn’t fully form.
Something like the feeling of a gaze on her skin.
Sarah sat on top of a cart loaded high with goods, on the lookout for monsters and bandits as the caravan passed through the mountains between Iberteria and the rest of the continent. The weak, late-winter sun barely warmed her skin. The air was chilly and thin. The predominant scents were pine and oak trees, but dampened by the remaining cold and moisture...
2025-12-11 19:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Davy Sprocket, the President of the Great and Everlasting Free State of Texas!
A war hero!
A businessman!
He was a great leader!
Although…
He didn’t have much to do!
Everyone mostly minded their own business.
Even the law enforcement was mostly handled by elected Sheriffs, and their deputies.
The elected representatives spent all their time arguing, and not much else, which was how the Texans liked it…
Davy mostly just gave speeches ...
2025-12-11 18:00:08 +0000 UTC
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“As far as I can tell, the knowledge of James’ second Class hasn’t spread beyond Baronet Izguardia. Although the Enchanter’s Guild leadership has some suspicions, only Enchanter Melinda and Elder Enchanter Xavier are paying much attention to James, even as he studied in their more exclusive archives.” The Steward summarized what was known about James.
James nodded in agreement. “Elder Xavier let me into the Elder exclusive archives, and I was able to memorize every enchantme...
2025-12-10 19:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Susan, Paul’s wife, sipped her tea and sighed with contentment, able to relax now that someone else was watching the children. “Sarah, congratulations on getting that second Class you wanted all this time. Finder, was it?”
Lily, Brandon’s wife, cradling the dozing Becky, spoke next. “And it’s a new Class, right? Does your family just create new Classes all the time? Brandon tells me that Brawler was a new Class your great-great-great-grandmother, or something like that, crea...
2025-12-09 19:00:07 +0000 UTC
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“Wheee!” Lily squealed as her little pony cantered beneath her!
They had borrowed some horses after visiting the Sheriff and getting deputized!
Now she had a big shiny silver star on her leather vest!
She also had a wooden toy pistol in a holster on her belt!
The Sheriff had offered her a gun, but her Mama said no…
Lily kinda felt like they were missing out on the culture of the Great and Everlasting Free State of Texas!
Riding alongside her was her m...
2025-12-09 18:00:09 +0000 UTC
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James sat carefully on the couch, nervous tension keeping him from relaxing in its softness. Across from him were his beloved Isabella, refusing to meet his eye as she sharpened a knife in her lap, flanked by her parents.
Carmen, her mother, had a practiced neutral expression. Bernardo, her father, looked… gravely concerned.
James licked his lips nervously, and spoke.
“I know it’s impudent to ask, at this point, but please, keep what I’m about to share between only u...
2025-12-08 19:00:08 +0000 UTC
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The next morning, when Lily woke up, she had a new ghost!
She said a quick prayer of thanks to the God of Death, Lord Hades, who was seemingly always looking out for her!
Well… He had been super helpful so far…
Anyway, Lily asked her new ghost for his name!
“I’m Marion M Morrison, but you can call me Duke,” he said.
And then, he said he was an actor!
Uh…
Lily tilted her head.
“Why did Lord Hades send an actor ghost?” she asked. ...
2025-12-06 18:00:08 +0000 UTC
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The City Guard had the restaurant cordoned off and were already trying to take witness statements when Suero and half his squad arrived, a contingent of Healers arriving at nearly the same time.
“We can’t talk to anyone yet; everyone took massive hearing damage.”
“Nobody was carrying potions?” Suero asked.
“They all shattered in the attack,” the guard captain grimaced. “Only Count Valencian has had the presence of mind to make a report despite his own hearing...
2025-12-05 19:00:08 +0000 UTC
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The carriage ride from the capital back to her home village was, in a word, boring.
The sky was overcast, ranging from medium to dark grey the entire time—promising first snowfall any day now. But the roads were tidy, there was no sign of monsters anywhere, and even when Sarah moved to the top of the carriage, despite the driver’s protests, and focused her Finder Class on looking for bandits, there was no trace.
The only company they had on the road was a few merchants with th...
2025-12-04 19:00:08 +0000 UTC
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“Now, Bill dear, we’ve arranged for the money for the debt payments to be put in our joint bank account, so make sure you pay it on the first of the month, okay? Don’t be late! If we have any late fees…”
“Pshaw, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it! You just enjoy your trip, okay?”
Sally looked worried, but Lily was excited!
“Yeah, Papa, we’re gonna catch those cattle rustlers and fix the price of beef!”
“Ah, Lily, you shouldn’t say things l...
2025-12-04 18:00:11 +0000 UTC
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The Marquess was a tall, thin man, with a full head of silver hair and clearly well past his sixtieth year. But he sat ramrod straight, and with a presence that drew the eye, like a natural-born leader. He spared the two young love birds not a single glance, even as they gaped at him, and remained engrossed in his meal and discussion with his dining partner, a rather rotund, similarly tall and similarly aged man wearing a similar dress uniform.
Maya whispered an unprintable lament that ...
2025-12-03 19:00:10 +0000 UTC
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Artemis' note: bonus chapter in celebration of Lily — Beloved of the Gods reaching ten ratings on Royal Road. If you haven't rated it yet, check it out and rate it! I'd really appreciate it.
At that point, the history of House Sanchez extended back centuries. They had risen in much the same way that the Aspirant Knight intended to: their founding father was a Knight, and by valorous service to the Kingdom, he was promoted to Baronet. His son’s efforts earned a promotion t...
2025-12-02 20:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Artemis note: Lily — Beloved of the Gods chapters will be posted on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday going forward. If you haven't rated it on Royal Road yet, please do! It helps me out a lot.
The mayors showed up suddenly!
Just as Mr. Cat told Lily a way to, completely legally and above-board, not cheating at all, avoid paying some of the debt she owed at the end of next week!
The day was Saturday, and the weather was clear…
And the mayors of Three Creek...
2025-12-02 19:41:18 +0000 UTC
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Sarah had wanted to use her rope, but rope was a bad match up for the heavy, strong Grizzly Claws, especially given their, well, claws.
She tossed the sword she was holding behind her, trusting the Adventurers to catch it.
Even with the sword, the Grizzly Claws were just so large they would have better reach.
And in the moment she had before the monsters closed in, she pulled from her magic bag the spare lance she had brought.
The Treasure Seekers’ Lancer still had h...
2025-12-02 19:00:10 +0000 UTC
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Marcus and Julius folded their hands in front of their faces, put their elbows on the table, and leaned over to look at the little girl businesswoman who was the talk of the towns.
Lily!
An eight year old girl with brown hair and blue eyes, carrying a ledgerbook.
A golf prodigy!
And a business prodigy!
And a culinary prodigy!
Truly, one blessed by the Gods…
The two mayors didn’t know how right they were!
Other than their normal busi...
2025-12-01 21:50:32 +0000 UTC
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The Smith and the Enchantress gazed into each other’s eyes, at a loss for words, blushes slowly creeping onto their faces. They both had so much to say to each other.
What classes had she chosen? Was she still mad at him? Would she be open to his courtship?
How to apologize for how she had acted, and how to thank him for his advice and care? Did he know something about why her Choosing had been so weird? How had that cut got on his face and who did it?
They were b...
2025-12-01 19:00:10 +0000 UTC
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Some two hundred years before the Smith’s birth, one of the finest Sailors ever to take up the Class sailed far, far beyond sight of shore, navigating by clever use of star and clock, just to see what was out there.
James had a hard time imagining such a large body of water, but Ivan insisted it was real, so he let it go without further comment.
The Sailor mainly found more water out there, but at least there was lots of fish, so it wasn’t a total waste of time.
Then, he...
2025-11-28 19:00:09 +0000 UTC
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The second floor of the Deep Woods Dungeon was the same as the first, but more.
The mists were thicker.
The light was dimmer.
The trees were bigger.
The terrain was even more rugged.
The air was cloying, slightly cold, extremely humid; it clung to Sarah’s skin.
She recalled the information she had received from the Guildmaster, from Scout Benny’s report. Presuming that the floor entrance was ‘south,’ the pitfall trap had activated somewhere in the n...
2025-11-27 19:00:07 +0000 UTC
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James found himself with nothing to do but think.
When had he last had nothing to do but think?
Ever since he had arrived in Cordova, all his waking thoughts had been spent on developing either his Smithing or his Enchanting, or scanning for danger, or some other chore or task.
Before that was the journey from Corto, when he had still been on edge around the Steward and the Knight.
He had thought plenty the night before his trial, but that had been thinking about a ver...
2025-11-26 19:00:07 +0000 UTC
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The meeting had a set agenda, and the mayors were going through the usual discussions first before they talked about the supply emergency. Legal changes, directions from the governor, rumors from the capital about the Royal Family and such things…
Lily’s mind raced, and she was scribbling on a piece of paper.
Her business was in trouble!
She had been counting on sales from the next week to cover her bills at the end of the month!
Would she even have enough money no...
2025-11-26 17:00:12 +0000 UTC
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Sarah squatted down, examining the trap as closely as she could without triggering it, and found herself distracted by an intrusive thought.
Finder Class Skill [Trap Detection] has been acquired.
Sarah inhaled sharply.
All that time struggling before she got her second Class…
If she had known Finder could get that Skill, she would have visited a Dungeon sooner.
She stood up, now confident that she could simply leap over the trap without activat...
2025-11-25 19:00:07 +0000 UTC
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The next day, Lily and Junior went to all their suppliers in Three Creeks Village and made sure their standing orders were okay!
Normally, Lilyburgers #1 (the cart at the mine) sold about fifty-five sets per day on average, and they kept supplies on hand to make sixty-five sets per day.
Lilyburgers #2, the Three Creeks Village City Square Location, usually sold about a hundred and ten sets, and they kept supplies on hand for a hundred and thirty sets.
So Becky had settled in...
2025-11-25 17:00:13 +0000 UTC
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Lily’s eyes got wide.
Junior was looking completely frazzled!
Had something happened?
And then…
Distraction!
Chuck kissed Delilah, and she was blushing!
But then he gallantly swept off, leaving her behind!
She was gazing at his back passionately…
Young romance!
And then, Delilah noticed Lily, Abel, and Brandon.
“Oh, hi Miss Lily.”
Delilah was still glowing!
“Uh…”
Lily wasn’t sure what to say!
2025-11-24 19:50:56 +0000 UTC
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Up in heaven, things were getting serious!
This happened sometimes!
Not all the time, though.
For the most part, the Gods and Goddesses were chill!
They relaxed!
Heaven was their home!
The mortal realm was where they did their work, for the most part.
They were work-from-home, full time!
It was a really sweet gig.
But, every now and then…
A God got serious.
They would put on a ceremony.
This was a big deal.
...
2025-11-24 19:39:34 +0000 UTC
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Lily had planned to sleep in on her day off.
She had been waking up at dawn every single day for weeks!
And…
As lots of early risers have discovered…
Once it becomes a habit, it’s hard to sleep in!
She woke up at the same time as normal.
Even earlier than her parents!
They were sleeping off the big feast they had had the night before…
Lily’s semi-pet Mr. Cat was snoozing in his cat bed, and her ghosts relaxing, drinking ghost coffee!
2025-11-24 19:29:00 +0000 UTC
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